Last Sunday, the movie theater, City Mall Ikeja was aglow with movie buffs who came to register their presence and align
themselves with the talented actress, media personality cum producer, Funmi
Fibresima who premiered her debut movie Onikola, a film on genital
mutilation.
The movie which parades stars like Ronke Ojo ( Oshodi Oke), Ibrahim Chatta, Sunday Afolabi, Dejumo Lewis, Bunmi Olatilewa and
Tola Oladokun who gave award-winning performances was written by Gbenga Adesanya, Steve Anu Adesemoye,
Abosede Oshin and directed by Dotun Taylor.
The best moment of the night came during the
screening of the movie as the guests were entertained and tickled by the acting
prowess of amazing fresh faces in the movie industry, the duo of Funmi
Fibresima and Yinka Salau. The duo gave an unmatched performance and turned
heads amid cheers.
Set in Iseyin in Oyo State, Onikola is a fiction film that has the feel and workings of real
life situation. Many scenarios appear as if they have been lifted directly from
traditional realities of Nigerian life and living. Movie pundits agree
that Onikola has immediate relevance
to Nigeria society because it brings to light the harmful side effects of female
genital mutilation without flogging the viewers over the head with the message.
The producer of the movie, manage to fuse
entertainment and romance while delivering a strong message against the social
misnomer.
The intrigue-filled, informative and educative film
centres on Kumbi (Funmi Fiberesima) who is firm on her resolve to not to be
circumcised. She sacrifices everything including her love for Okiki (Sunday
Afolabi) and risks being rejected by her people, most of all her mother Abebi
(Bunmi Olatilewa).
On the other side of the wall is Omosewa (Ronke
Ojo), who is circumcised and as a result becomes emotionless and suffers ridicule
in the hands of her husband. She however develops the courage to express her feelings
about a tradition which challenges her sexuality and those of her friends.
Onikola is a movie that evokes
emotion, love and regret. As Fiberesima puts it, it’s like using a tool that’s
available to passage a message across.
“I thank God I had a very responsive crowd. Hearing
their responses was like wow. I could have communicated it in any other
language but Yoruba Language film seem to reach out to people more a whole lot
of Yoruba people are still been subjected to circumcision.
“I have watched the clip of a live circumcision and
I was tormented for days by the child’s scream. Anytime I hear the child’s
scream what comes to my mind is the joy of the mother. So I see that the mother
did this out of love for her child but we know better. There is information now
and it is from the experiences of people that we know that this is not what you
do to your child,” she said
The movie which is already out on DVD is
distributed by Shola Fajobi’s E-force, a leading distribution and marketing
company in Nigeria with several media equity use in promotion.
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